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 And the Lord said to Job:

² “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

Job Promises Silence

³ Then Job answered the Lord and said:

⁴ “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
⁵ I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further.”

The Lord Challenges Job

⁶ Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

⁷ “Dress for action^[a] like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
⁸ Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
⁹ Have you an arm like God,
and can you thunder with a voice like his?

¹⁰ “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
¹¹ Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
¹² Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and tread down the wicked where they stand.
¹³ Hide them all in the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below.^[b]
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵ “Behold, Behemoth,^[c]
which I made as I made you;
he eats grass like an ox.
¹⁶ Behold, his strength in his loins,
and his power in the muscles of his belly.
¹⁷ He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
¹⁸ His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like bars of iron.

¹⁹ “He is the first of the works^[d] of God;
let him who made him bring near his sword!
²⁰ For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beasts play.
²¹ Under the lotus plants he lies,
in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh.
²² For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
the willows of the brook surround him.
²³ Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
²⁴ Can one take him by his eyes,^[e]
or pierce his nose with a snare?

Footnotes:

1. Job 40:7 Hebrew Gird up your loins
2. Job 40:13 Hebrew in the hidden place
3. Job 40:15 A large animal, exact identity unknown
4. Job 40:19 Hebrew ways
5. Job 40:24 Or in his sight

Cross references:

1. Job 40:1 : ch. 38:1
2. Job 40:2 : See ch. 33:13
3. Job 40:4 : [ch. 42:6; Ezra 9:6]
4. Job 40:4 : ch. 21:5; 29:9; Judg. 18:19
5. Job 40:5 : ch. 33:14; Ps. 62:11
6. Job 40:5 : ch. 33:14; Ps. 62:11
7. Job 40:6 : ch. 38:1
8. Job 40:7 : ch. 38:3
9. Job 40:7 : ch. 38:3; 42:4
10. Job 40:8 : See ch. 32:2
11. Job 40:9 : Ps. 89:13; Isa. 63:12
12. Job 40:9 : See ch. 37:4
13. Job 40:10 : [Ps. 93:1; 104:1]
14. Job 40:11 : [Dan. 4:37]; See Isa. 2:11-17
15. Job 40:12 : Isa. 63:3
16. Job 40:12 : [ch. 36:20]
17. Job 40:13 : Isa. 2:10
18. Job 40:13 : ch. 21:26
19. Job 40:14 : Ps. 98:1; Isa. 59:16; 63:5
20. Job 40:15 : Num. 22:4
21. Job 40:19 : [Prov. 8:22]
22. Job 40:19 : ch. 26:14
23. Job 40:21 : Ps. 68:30